XN000022-1973-10-17 — Page 57

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Wednesday, October 17, 1973

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have far reaching implications for our universities and involve very

considerable cost. In view of the great time lag involved between

planning any new medical training facilities and completion of the training

of the first students in them, we will need to think both fast and

clearly. On these matters the Government will want to take advice from

the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee.

I am extremely grateful to Sir Albert Rodrigues and his committee.

Like the Board of Education his Committee were confronted with a formidable

mass of technical and administrative detail, and with admirable speed

were able to reduce this to a clear and valuable report. This will be the

basis for our Medical and Health Services in the 80's.

Apart from these important long term plans, the only other subject

in the medical field I wish to mention is that of family planning. This

month the Government begins to share with the voluntary agencies res-

ponsibility for developing and encouraging family planning. Over the next

twelve months the services presently run by the Family Planning Association

in Government clinics will become part of the Government service, staffed

by Government officers and supported and financed directly by Government.

This will make it possible for the Family Planning Association and the other

agencies to concentrate their efforts in the areas not otherwise sorved by

Government clinics. These measures are of great importance because all

our efforts to improve the quality of life in Hong Kong could be frustrated

by excessive natural increase, just as they could be by excessive immigration,

and we face a significant increase in the size of the child-bearing age-group.

The long-term